Peruvian Coffee Makes the Trip to Cafe Worthwhile

Last week I attended a staff meeting for those working for Destination Cafe. It was a great opportunity to meet with those whom I have never met before as well as seeing some familiar faces. The meeting itself was largely concerned with housekeeping details of a confidential variety, but was conducted in a spirit that was both positive and welcoming. My supervisor, Shirley H., led the meeting. The mood at the meeting was quite relaxed; almost everyone had something to contribute.

After lunch, I had a chance to chat with Rob D., the day manager of Destination Cafe. While I was talking with him, I had the opportunity to bring up an issue that has long been on my mind, one that has to do with the proper way of preparing coffee once it has been roasted and ground. In an earlier post, I mentioned that most coffee makers do not get the water sufficiently hot for optimum results. Rob recommended that I purchase a French Press, which involves using boiling water that is poured into the top. He said that they range in price from $100 (for a metal French Press) to glass ones that cost around $20. I will be definitely purchasing one in the near future and promise to post the results on this blog.

Staff at Destination Cafe also very kindly provided me with some freshly roasted and ground Peruvian coffee which I sampled shortly after I returned home that day. The coffee turned out to be a robust, complex blend that was well worth the trip to Destination Cafe to obtain it. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to sample the coffee since then. I don't drink coffee at home for the most part, being more of an inveterate tea drinker. As a result of this, I'm afraid the coffee has become stale since then.

Personally, I believe that the Peruvian coffee that I received from Destination Cafe will still be superior to most of the coffee purchased over the counter. I have long maintained that coffee and tea drinking remains a subjective experience; tastes differ, after all. Granted, an experienced barista will probably argue this point. But in a world dominated by those who frequent Tim Horton's for their coffee, how could things be otherwise?